Ossett Battlefields 4 th -8 th July 2016 What can you expect from the Battlefields Trip at Ossett Academy?

Ossett Battlefields Key Facts We have two hotels – The Munchenhof + Ypres Lodge Hotel We have a first-aider at each site. Mrs Parfitt or Miss Haigh. Each hotel will have teachers who have many years experience on battlefields trips.

Destination Northern France Belgium YPRES SOMME DOVER ENGLISH CHANNEL

Ossett Battlefields 2016 Key Questions 1.How many in each hotel? 47 students and 5 staff at the Munchenhof Hotel, 48 students and 5 staff at the Ypres Lodge Hotel 2.Who will I be in a room with? Fill out your slips. Be responsible and mature. We will make sure you are in a room with at least one other person on your slip and probably more. 3.What if I get lost or need somebody and a teacher isn’t around? Identification cards will be issued. There will be a trip mobile. There will always be meeting places with teachers at them e.g. at the water park.

Ossett Battlefields 2016 Key Questions 4.What is the food like? Nice enough, I’ve always eaten it all. Typically things like chicken and chips, spaghetti bolognaise etc… 5.What do we do for the first day? Turn up at school in plenty of time for us to be able to set off at 5.45am. Make sure you have a packed lunch or some money to get something on the ferry (fairly expensive but usually very nice). The first meal we are provided with is an evening meal. 6.Can I bring my tablet/phone? Yes but at your own risk and be respectful in the cemeteries, there will probably be a lot of people and you represent the school.

Ossett Battlefields 2016 Key Questions 7.How much money should we bring? You don’t actually need any money (with the exception of the last day, see question below). You might want to buy some souvenirs or some of the excellent chocolate. If you want to bring money then you shouldn’t need more than 70 euros and a bit of English money for some lunch on the last day. 8.What do we do for the last day? We get breakfast and a packed lunch but we won’t arrive back until approx. 8-9pm. We will remind students to keep some money saved so they can get something on the way back e.g. on ferry, in service station etc…

Ossett Battlefields 2016 Health Please tell us if your child is ill.

Ossett Battlefields - Itinerary Monday We set off at 5.45am. We will visit Sanctuary Wood and the Hill 62 Museum. You will go to your hotels and eat. Tuesday Breakfast is at 7am. We set off at 8am. You get a packed lunch. Day at Somme 100 yrs on. We will see all the sites that you will have seen on the news the Friday before (1 st July). We will visit 5 ex-Ossett students for the first time ever. Eat. Go bowling. Wednesday Morning – Ypres town centre. Don’t buy chocolate yet, it melts. Award winning museum. From 12pm-6pm – Water Park. Thursday Breakfast 7.30am, Set off 8.30am. Visit sites around Ypres such as cell for men shot at dawn, Nelly Spindler, the many ‘men’ who were 17 or under, Passchendaele museum for lunch. Visit ex- Ossett student for first time ever at Bard Cottage Cemetery. German cemetery. 8pm Menin Gate Ceremony Buy chocolate. Bed. Friday Breakfast 7.30am. Set off 8.45am. Last stop, Tyne Cot. Compose poems. Write letters to the soldiers. Ferry at 1pm. Back to Ossett for approx 8-9pm, tired, happy and hopefully with some memories that will last a lifetime. Sleep like a hibernating bear. Wake up Sunday.

Ossett Battlefields - Kit List Travelling on the coach - These items should be packed into a small bag or rucksack for the journey. Sandwiches and snacks (not to be eaten on the coach itself) Travel sickness pills / Seaband Small pillow Bottled water Travel games (crosswords, travel scrabble etc) Clothes / toiletries - These items should be packed in your suitcase (please try to use a soft bag/case) Jumper/sweater Socks/underwear Jeans/jogging bottoms Smarter clothes for evening meal Towels/toiletries – (this is a priority) Trainers/comfortable shoes/walking boots Waterproof jacket Nightwear Shorts Sun cream Medication Any other items you wish to bring must be carried in your suitcase or hand luggage. Only one soft suitcase and one small bag per student. Note:All valuables brought on the trip will be at the student’s own risk

Ossett Battlefields What To Have In Day Bags 1.A hat – There is no shelter from the sun in the middle of the Somme battlefields. 2.Sun cream – As above 3.Any medication you might need e.g. inhaler, hayfever drops etc… 4.More than one bottle full of water. 5.Pens, notepad, student booklet. 6.Waterproofs (check forecast)

Ossett Battlefields Spending Money and Valuables Ossett Academy will not be responsible for changing money. Maximum of 70 in Euros (advised) to be handed to the teachers in charge of your hotel – Mr Lewis and Miss Jowett OR Mrs Foster and Mr Austin. Money available at a set time each day. Students may bring a small amount of Sterling for the journey (for the ferry – but remember things are usually expensive). It is a good idea to have some for the journey home or you might end up a bit hungry. Please make sure you have something that you can put your money in – either a purse or a wallet.

Behaviour Polite and courteous at all times No Alcohol No Cigarettes Follow instructions Poor behaviour could result in parents being requested to collect their children from Belgium

Health Issues Any medication that is needed to be taken during the course of the trip can either be retained by yourself (and kept in a safe place) or you can give it to the first- aider in your hotel/coach (Mrs Parfitt or Miss Haigh) Any medication must be accompanied by a letter (dosage/permission) Travel sickness – remember to take travel sickness pills before the start of the journey It may be necessary to administer paracetamol or anti-histamines if a student presents these symptoms

Unsupervised Time There will be periods of unsupervised time – at the theme park and in Ypres town centre Clear instructions will be given 4 is the magic number – during unsupervised times students must always be in a group of 4 students Any students found in a group of less than 4 will be required to remain with staff Staff will always be available Other arrangements can be made for theme park rides and unsupervised time if any parents are concerned

The Staff Mr Otway – CTL History, overall leader Mr Lewis – Leader Hotel 1 Mrs Foster – Leader Hotel 2 Miss Jowett – Coach Entertainment, Rooming Mr Austin – Coach Entertainment, Photographer Mr Stott – Banker Mrs Parfitt – First-aid Miss Haigh – First-aid Mrs Lord – Coach entertainment, everybody’s mum, generally a legend. Mr Spedding – Many years of experience, everybody’s dad (not married to Mrs Lord) generally a legend.

Ossett Battlefields - Terrorism We have fielded a few phone calls from worried parents and we can understand why people are worried. If something happens in France or Belgium before we go then we will call a meeting and send students home with letters. We will also communicate from our twitter page about whether or not the trip goes ahead. We will take advice from the school leadership team and the foreign office, as well as the travel company. If something happens whilst we are there then we have a designated member of staff back in the UK who will coordinate our response. The travel company will give us the option to continue with our trip or to come home on the first available transport. We will keep everybody updated in real-time via twitter.

Ossett Battlefields How To Get The Most Out Of It We leave on 4 th July. The Battle of the Somme started 1 st July 1916 and lasted until November We expect there will be huge amounts of television time dedicated to this, especially on the weekend before we leave. Watch some. Tell us if you have relatives who fought and we might be able to visit them. Come to H7 Tuesday lunchtime at 12.30, we will do whatever you like to prepare e.g. research soldiers, watch film, watch documentary, you can help set the agenda. Go to Ossett.net and read about the war.

Ossett Battlefields What About For You will get updates of what we are doing on the trip in real time. We will post the odd video clip on an evening (wi-fi depending) You will know when we have set off home, when we have got off the ferry and when we are back in Yorkshire.